Syrrhopodon is a large and diverse genus with a broader ecological range than either Calymperes or Mitthyridium. One species of the genus, S. gardneri, has been collected at elevations up to 3000 m, in Nepal, but most species occur at much lower elevations. Syrrhopodon differs from Mitthyridium primarily in having erect rather than repent stems. In Mitthyridium the leaves have a unistratose border of hyaline cells; in species of Syrrhopodon with leaves bordered by hyaline cells, the border is commonly more than one cell thick. Eighteen taxa of Syrrhopodon occur in China.

Other Calymperaceae reported from China

1. Calymperes longifolium Mitt., a synonym of Syrrhopodon loreus (Sande Lac.) Reese, was listed for Botel Tobago, Taiwan, by C.-C. Chuang (1973), but no material of this species under either name has been seen from China.

2. Calymperopsis yunfuensis P.-C. Wu, J.-X. Luo & F.-S. Men was described from fossil material (Wu et al. 1976). We have not seen this material and are unable to evaluate its affinities.

3. Syrrhopodon sinii Reim., Hedwigia 71: 42. 1931. China. Prov. Kwangsi: Yao-Shan (mit Corybas sp. gesammelt)–Summer 1928.–S: S. Sin und K. K. Wang n. 1908d. No material under this name has been seen for this report. The type description states that this moss is similar to S. japonicus but has shorter cancellinae. Lin (1984) suggested that S. sinii was probably the same as S. japonicus.

4. Syrrhopodon tristichus Nees and Thyridium undulatum (Dozy & Molk.) Fleisch. were attributed to China by P.-C. Chen (1963) but according to P.-J. Lin (1984), the material upon which the report was based was incorrectly determined.

13. Stems elongate, often more or less repent and with erect ascending branches; leaves flexed, with prominent shoulders; upper laminae tubulose wet and dry; plants and leaf bases often red-brown or golden..................................4. S. flammeonervis